Selected Posts from the Midd Blogosphere

The U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon, a competition in which 20 collegiate teams from around the world design and build 100% solar-powered houses, is well underway in Irvine, California. As the competition progresses, Team Middlebury’s entry, known as InSite, is consistently in the top half of the standings. The team even found itself in first place over the weekend!

You can support Team Middlebury from 2,896 miles away by voting for InSite for the People’s Choice Award. Cast your vote at www.solardecathlon.gov by Friday, October 11 at 2:00 pm.

My name is Jamie Burchfield and I am the student curator at Middlebury College. I am partnering up with Relay for Life to host a silent auction on April 11, 6-8 pm, at 51 Main.

Relay for Life is an annual American Cancer Society fundraiser that occurs across the country. Throughout the year, the committee hosts small fundraisers to promote and support the main event in the spring. The proceeds raised go directly to the American Cancer Society to fund cancer research and various treatments. Relay for Life allows the American Cancer Society to help more cancer patients and fight back against cancer.

We decided to host a silent auction this year to bridge the student population and local community. Because of this, we are looking for both student and local artists to donate any and all type of art- regardless of size, content, or medium. If you are interested in participating, please contact me for more information at cburchfi@middlebury.edu or 516-426-8532 as soon as possible.

Whether or not you donate art work, please join us on April 11th for a night of live music, food, drinks, great art, and to learn more about Relay for Life!

LIS has announced the launch of the portal, an online gateway to information about Middlebury. As you know, there is a portal for faculty and staff, but there is one for students, as well. Just as the staff and faculty portal features MiddPoints for important news and announcements, the student portal has MiddNotes (go/middnotes or, if you are off-campus, http://go.middlebury.edu/middnotes).

In an effort to reduce the number of all-student e-mails, MiddNotes will become the primary means of communicating with the entire student body (excluding announcements related to emergencies, policy, or compliance, or other special exceptions). If you have an announcement to share with students, please visit go/post (http://go.middlebury.edu/post). Once you log in with your Middlebury user name and password, you may post to the blog. Messages will be approved for final posting by the SGA in a timely fashion. Unlike MiddPoints, there will be no weekly digest of MiddNotes, so you do not need to be mindful of any deadlines.

Thank you for your cooperation as the College works to streamline its internal communications. If you have any questions about MiddNotes, please contact Jennifer Herrera at jherrera@middlebury.edu.

As part of 51 Main’s ongoing efforts to connect our programming with the College’s larger educational mission, to develop new opportunities for students to showcase their creative work, and to create a diverse social venue that appeals to both the College and town communities, 51 Main encourages you to plan an event here.

Suggestions:

Course performances or presentations. In the past, classes from the Music, Arabic, and Film & Media Culture departments have performed or exhibited original compositions, poetry, and short films.

Exhibitions or receptions for guest lecturers and performers. Note: If you have the performance/lecture/exhibit at 51 Main, we can assist with funding.

Office celebrations for the holidays, staff transitions, or retirement.

Book talks or readings by faculty, staff, and community members.

If you’re interested in collaborating on an event, please contact Sarah Franco at sfranco@middlebury.edu or 443-5052. If you’re interested in planning an event centered around food (dinner, reception, etc.), please contact Carl Roesch at croesch@middlebury.edu or 388-8209.

The People’s Choice Award is your chance to vote for your favorite U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon house. Voting opened on September 23 and will run through September 30 at 7 p.m. Surf on over to the voting site and then check the Solar Decathlon home page each day to see the current top three houses. This is a great way to show your support for Middlebury’s entry, Self-Reliance.

As Tim mentioned in two of his posts last week, the campus’ physical plant went under the proverbial knife this summer, both inside and out. One project that has chugged along steadily this summer is the all-gender restroom project, which Tim and Dean of the College Shirley Collado announced earlier this spring.

The first phase of the project, in which single-stall restrooms with gender designations are converted to all-gender, is nearly complete. Facilities Services Project Manager Mark Gleason has surveyed the single-stall restrooms for accessibility, and Space Manager Mary Stanley is about to place the order for signs. (It should be noted that Mark and Mary have been excellent resources throughout this project, offering advice and getting us the information we need.) In the coming weeks, the following restrooms will be converted through a sign change:

Adirondack House, 2nd Floor

Armstrong Library, 1st Floor

Axinn, Basement, ADA Accessible

Hillcrest, 1st Floor

Old Chapel, 3rd & 4th Floors

Service Building, 1st Floor

Warner, Basement & 3rd Floor

The second phase of the project is moving forward, too. This summer, Jennifer Herrera and I met with the academic department chairs, office heads, and facilities liaisons in Axinn, BiHall, and McCullough to discuss the conversion of one pair of multi-stall restrooms in each building. These meetings were very productive. Attendees asked questions, shared their concerns and their support, and offered many ideas for potential outcomes. Other faculty and staff members who work in these buildings will have the opportunity to do the same during a series of open meetings coming up next week.

Questions? Please feel free to leave a comment, or email Jennifer or me.

In case you missed it, 51 Main has an entirely new lunch menu and has added several new items to its dinner menu. You can find our lunch and dinner menus on our website, or visit go/51lunch or go/51dinner. We hope you will join us!